Theresa May’s leadership will not diminish the Commonwealth, says Dokubo

Professor Charles Dokubo, an international relations expert and head of Defence and Strategic Analysis, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), spoke with VICTORIA OJUGABANA on Theresa May’s appointment as the British PM, how it will affect policies on Africa and what her leadership portends for African politics, among other issues.

As the British Prime Minister, what are the implications of Mrs. May’s appointment for African politics?
Theresa May has not been involved in African politics. She has never even held a developmental office. Her office, which is the home office, is also one of the high offices in England. We don’t know how exactly she is going to follow; whether she is going to set up her own cabinet with people she thinks will do things the way she wants. Her concern for the poor and the less privileged and less developed parts of the world could endear her to the rest of Nigeria and African in general. It’s a turning point. She did not come from Oxbridge. Mrs. May was a school pupil from a background not as fantastic as others. So, her root will also influence her decisions about dealing with poverty, sustaining development and eradicating poverty in African continent.

Is there likely to be a change in British policy towards African continent?
It is not easy to discern whether there will be a change in policy or not. But all her policies are directed towards internal development, looking inwards. They want to look into themselves and redress the situation, as well as things they believe could affect them adversely by being members of the European Union (EU).

Mrs. May is now British PM, Angela Merkel is the German Chancellor and there is the likelihood that Mrs. Hillary Clinton could win the U.S. presidential election in November. Are these powerful women likely to influence the direction of things globally?
It doesn’t matter that they are women. Women are also citizens. They have been agitating that they’ve not been absorbed into mainstream politics. Be that as it may, they will face the exact challenges that men face, as heads of government, and heads of administration. The fact is that gender doesn’t make any difference. Definitely, they will have to deal with their challenges, as they emerge. Somehow, they just have to look at other areas, where they can help their countries in terms of developmental agenda and such things.

Many women have been crying that they have been marginalised, ostracised and stigmatised because of their gender. But I doubt that that it is so. Most countries have equal employment opportunity policies. Women, who do the same job as men, are paid equal salaries. The only aspect to be looked at is their nature— they are wives, mothers and professionals in their fields. I believe they also try to take things under their wings and do their best.

Women should be involved in politics, just as men. We have seen women that became heads of state in Africa: Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sir-Leaf and Botswana’s former president, who was also the daughter of a former president of the country. Women can also show their potentials, as they are not less politically endowed than men. They should not say because a leader is a woman, she would have less hurdles to scale.

Will Africa be toeing this line by appointing more women into political offices?
In most cases, women vote for men and not for their fellow women. We must also address the consciousness that most women believe that the father figure they have in the house represents a man that rules the country. It will take some time for women to redress the issue and focus on empowering their kind. Women must work within the system so that their peers can nominate them. We don’t even need to have female president to nominate women.

In Rwanda, President Paul Kagame has a lot of women in his administration and women are more empowered. That can also be as a result of the post-conflict situation, where they became pillars of organisations that led to resettling the crisis that emerged after the civil war. Women are few in politics, but they can be given places. Female technocrats are being appointed based on their knowledge of particular issues.

Are there lessons to be learnt by African leaders from UK’s succession system?
It is sometimes difficult. I remember when the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was ill and could not perform his duties as the president, it took a lot of struggles to make sure that his deputy took charge. I believe we are learning. Slowly but surely, Nigeria will also adapt to the issue. Sometimes, some of these issues don’t matter, but we try to make something out of them. There’s a constitution that states how things should be done and we should follow it. We should try and adopt these rules.

How would Theresa May’s leadership affect the Commonwealth states, with Britain being the head of the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth has been a very important part of British foreign policy. Right from the Second World War. Because of the emotional relationship and ties with the Commonwealth, whatever the change in administration, they can’t wish away the Commonwealth. It is a pride to them. Countries that are not members of the Commonwealth states are still applying to belong. The Commonwealth can only be a viable option to those that desire it.